Sports
Kemp Excited To Rejoin Phillips’ Staff
< < Back to kemp-excited-rejoin-phillips-staffThe Ohio men’s basketball program welcomes new assistant coach Jason Kemp to the team after spending last season with the Toledo Rockets.
“Things have moved really fast and I’m looking forward to settling in as a Bobcat,” Kemp said in a phone interview Wednesday.
The longtime assistant coach is excited to join Ohio’s staff, but it’s not the first time he’s worked with new head coach Saul Phillips. Kemp worked as a graduate assistant for two seasons with Phillips at North Dakota State before spending the next six seasons on the Bison’s bench.
Kemp had nothing but good words to say about his experiences with Phillips and looks forward to coaching together again next season.
“It’s a breath of fresh air for assistant coaches to work in an environment where it’s not joyless,” Kemp said. “It’s just a fun experience and fun for everybody involved.”
Kemp also realized that with the quick turnaround for him and the current players on the roster, it was important to step in and get acclimated to the team.
“My first priority getting down here as an assistant coach was to develop a relationship with the current players as fast as I possibly could,” Kemp said.
It’s straight to work for Kemp, who is on the recruiting trail looking for pieces to help the program succeed. But he also likes what he’s seen from returning players who showcased their talents against Toledo this season.
“I got a front row seat to see what a lot of these guys are capable of doing,” Kemp said. “We’ve been working on having a unified group here and they believe they can be champions.”